Legendary Beginnings of Rome

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Transcript of Legendary Beginnings of Rome

Legendary Beginnings of Rome..... and a bit of Roman GeographyRoman/ Italian GeographyItaly is a boot-shaped peninsula that juts into the Mediterranean SeaRoman HistoryItalyThree Major advantages:1. Mediterranean SeaOffers protection from invasionAccess to sea-going trade routes

Roman Geography2. The Alps: An arc of mountains that protects the peninsula from invasion from the northAlps Mountains.Roman/Italian Geography3. Centrally located in the Mediterranean Basin far from eastern Mediterranean powers (Persian and Hellenistic empires)Virgil- Poet, the Roman equivalent to Homer

His Aeneid can be considered a national epic of Rome. It traces the legendary beginnings of Rome back to Aeneas, a Trojan prince who brought his people to Italy after Trow was destroyed in the Trojan WarRomulus and RemusTwin brothers descended from AeneasGrandsons of King Numitor, King of an Italian city-stateLegendary BeginningsNumitor's brother tried to depose the king and had the twins thrown in the Tiber River. The twins were saved by a she-wolfRomulus and RemusLegendary BeginningsWhen the twins grew up, they restored their grandfather to his throne and then founded a new city on Palentien Hill, above the river in 753 BCE. And what do you think they named the city?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?How did Rome get its name?Romulus erected a wall around the city. Remus, being the annoying brother, tried to assert his leadership by mocking the wall and leaping over it.In true brotherly fashion Romulus killed his brotherGuess what? the city became known as Rome instead of RemusLegendary Kings Legendary Kings (753-509 BCE)Many of these kings were Etruscanno written records exist from that timehistories about the kings were written during the Empire based on legendsAs we saw in both China and Greece some of these legends have an element in archaeological truthLegendary BeginningsEtruscans were people who occupied the territories in what is now Northern Italy and are thought to have originated in the near east. (perhaps Persians or Phoenicians?)Legendary BeginningsThe kings had a great influence on Roman cultural and physical development. Skilled at Urban planning, engineering and water works.Projects attributed to the Etruscan KingsThe building of City WallsThe engineering of the ForumThe construction of the great drain to channel both rainfall and sewage into the Tiber River.

Roman WallsThe ForumCloaca MaximaCloaca Maxima: One of the world's earliest sewage systems. Built some 3000 years abo and still in use today... just think, when in Rome, your poop can be using the same channels as Julius Caesar's poop!ChimeraBody of a lioness, tail of a serpent and a goat rising out of the back. Earlies known literary reference to creature was in Homer's IlliadLegendary EndingsLegendary Kings (753-509 BCE)

The last Etruscan King was overthrown in 509 BCE. It is this date that marks the beginning of the Roman Republic509 BCE - 1st Century BCEThe Roman RepublicRepublicDefinition: Literally "a thing of the People

Some officials were chosen by the people, democratically

The Romans wanted no one person to have all the power

SenateMost powerful governing body in the early Republic. Make the laws (just like our Senate in the U.S.)300 members - all PatriciansPatricians - Landholding upper classSenators served for life: living the easy life!ConsulsEach year, the senate would elect 2 consuls for 1 year terms!Consuls were responsible forrunning the governmentenforced the lawsThe commanding of the armiesConsuls had to consult with the rest of the senate. (Ever try getting 300 people to agree on something? not any easy task to be a consul)ConsulsConsuls had limited power becauseThey had to consult with the SenateThey had short terms.

1st instance of CHECKS on government powersDictatorsIn the event of an emergency (in other words... war), the senate might choose a dictator who would have complete control over the government, but ONLY for 6 months! Can't do it in 6 months? They'll find some one else

Remember.... those Romans were a bit on edge!Roman SocietyPatriciansPlebeiansThe "common folk" who made up the bulk of society~ tradesmen, farmers, merchants~

Originally, only patricians could serve in the government or be senators.

can you guess who the laws benefited in Roman society ????????

Plebeians had very little say in the governmentover time, however, plebeians eventually gained more and more political power through TribunesTwelve Tables450 BCE- Plebeians convinced government to write down the laws of Rome on twelve tablets and have them set up in the Forum, or main central square.

Why it's important

laws become public...open to everyone! Not every Roman knew the laws because they were not previously written!This also gave plebeians the right to appeal a judgement handed down by a patrician judge.The Twelve Tables

The Twelve Tables codified Roman laws for the first time

(i.e. innocent until proven guilty concept)Some examples of lawsIf you need a witness to testify and he will not show up, you can go once every three days and shout in front of his house.A person who had been found guilty of giving false witness shall be hurled down from the Tarpeian Rock.A dreadfully deformed child shall be quickly killed.A dead man shall not be buried or burned within the city.Marriages should not take place between plebeians and patricians. Punishments included fines, exile, enslavement and death. ~Citizens could exchange exile for death~

Tribunes and VetosTribunes-- plebeians gained the right to elect officls to protect their interests. Tribunes were their representativesA tribune could veto (literal definition: I forbid) laws that were harmful to plebeians

who has the right to Veto in the U.S.?

over time, plebeians gained the right to be chosen as consuls, be appointed to higher offices, and even become senators. Who was considered a citizen

PatriciansPlebeiansselected foreigners Who was included in this RepublicWho was excluded in this RepublicWomenAliensSlavesChildrenFamilyBasic unit of Roman Society

Under Roman law, father had absolute powerwife was subject to his authorityWomen played larger roles in society than in Greeceattend theater, went to public baths and dined out with husbandschildren were all educated (boys and girls)What was expected of citizens?1. Pay taxes: show me the money $$$$$$$2. Serve in the militaryRoman coinsAssembliesAll citizens were expected to participate in the assemblies (remnants of direct democracy)

Assemblies couldpass lawselect magistratesdeclare war

Representative DemocracyRoman government -- although limited because many people were left out of the process, the Roman Republic made major strides in the development of representative democracy, which became a foundation of modern democracy. Representative DemocracyA democracy where voters (citizens) choose (usually by voting) officials who represent their interests when making lawselected official who represents other citizens interestsThe US is a representative democracy, it's also called a "republic"